


Dark/Light

by ageless_aislynn



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Chapter 2 will make it better, Context is Everything, Death, Experimental, F/M, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:42:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25719769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ageless_aislynn/pseuds/ageless_aislynn
Summary: Context is everything. Both chapters have exactly the same spoken dialogue, yet are vastly different stories. Heed the warnings but, if you choose to read, don't give up after chapter 1. Chapter 2 will make it better. ;)If you read, I hope you enjoy the ride. ♥
Relationships: Caitlin Snow/Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells
Comments: 22
Kudos: 17





	1. Dark

"She's going to be okay. She's going to be _fine_." Cisco's voice broke on the final word.

Harry vaguely thought that he should say something or put a comforting hand on his shoulder, a dozen different _appropriate_ things, but he couldn't make himself move. He was rooted to the spot at the end of the hospital bed as if one wrong motion would set the monitors to screaming.

In the sterile lighting, Caitlin looked pale and fragile. Of all of the dangers Team Flash faced from metas and villains on almost a daily manner, that it would've been something so mundane as a car wreck…

_I didn't even realize she was late getting to S.T.A.R. Labs today,_ Harry thought, the words burning caustic and hot in his brain. _Didn't even think about something being wrong…_

Then the phone call had come. Cisco was listed as one of her emergency contacts, and he and Harry had gotten to Central City General in a blur. Because they weren't family, they would only give them general information: Caitlin had sustained major injuries from her car being T-boned in an intersection. She had not regained consciousness and her prognosis was grim.

Harry had just stood mutely through it all. This was nothing he could fight, nothing he could strategize against. Helplessness had him almost completely shutdown.

"I'm going try to get a hold of Barry again," Cisco said. "I'll be back."

Then he paused at the door. "Harry? Just talk to her? Let her know she's not alone, hm?"

Harry nodded.

Once Cisco was gone, he stood there for a few more moments. The soft beeping of the heart monitor was a small comfort, letting him know she was alive, for as much as her appearance seemed to contradict that.

He took a shaky breath in, then exhaled in a rush before stepping to the side of the bed. She had IVs running to both arms and her hands were bruised from the impact so, though his first instinct was to touch her, he settled for wrapping his fingers around the cold metal of the bed rail.

"Hey there, Snow," he said, his voice rough. No, that was too impersonal, so he amended, "Caitlin."

Her name hung in the still air, punctuated only by the beep of the monitors.

He tried to think of something to say, inanities, terrible small talk, just anything, but his throat was so tight, nothing could come out. He was drowning in the regrets, the what-ifs, the _why didn't I'_ s.

_I was going to ask you out,_ he thought. _I thought there was plenty of time._

His fingers spasmed around the railing. 

"Oh, sweetheart," he said, the words coming in gasps. _Why didn't I tell her how I feel? I should've told her._

All he could do was tell her now and hope that she would hear him, would know.

He very, very carefully curled his fingers around hers, his touch as light as a feather.

"I--" he began but the monitors suddenly flatlined.

A shrill alarm began to wail and all of the light drained out of his world.


	2. Light

"She's going to be okay. She's going to be _fine_." Cisco's tone was steady and upbeat.

Harry knew he needed to move, to get into position, but now that the moment was finally here, he found himself rooted to the spot at the end of the hospital bed.

In the sterile lighting, Caitlin was flushed, her face twisted into a grimace. 

_I never should've let her come in to S.T.A.R. Labs on her own. I should've waited for her,_ Harry thought, the words burning caustic and hot in his brain. _Didn't even think about today being the day…_

Then the phone call had come. Harry was listed as one of her emergency contacts, and he and Cisco had gotten to Central City General in a blur. They had both been ushered in right away.

Harry had just stood mutely as the nurses went through dilation size and contraction times. He had taken all of the classes with her. He thought he was totally prepared but overwhelming helplessness had him almost completely shutdown.

"I'm going try to get a hold of Barry again," Cisco said. "I'll be back."

Then he paused at the door. "Harry? Just talk to her? Let her know she's not alone, hm?" He waggled his eyebrows in an exaggerated fashion at him, mutely saying, _Get in there, man!_

Harry nodded.

Once Cisco was gone, he sprang into action. The nurses quickly made room for him as he stepped to the side of the bed, gripping the cold bed rail as he waited for the contraction to pass. "Hey there, Snow."

The look she gave him could have flash-frozen a forest fire.

"Caitlin," he amended. Calling her by her last name was still his default whenever he was unsure or unsettled, even after all this time.

Her name hung in the air, batted about by the bustle of activity as another contraction immediately began. He heard one of the nurses say it was time to get the doctor and, in moments, he had arrived. 

"Oh, sweetheart," Harry said, feeling powerless as he watched her in the grip of hard labor. _Why weren't we more careful? Women still die in childbirth all the time. She said she wanted kids but I never thought it would be like this._

He had been away on a work trip when Jesse was born. He felt a sudden, profound pang of guilt for having left Tess to go through this without him.

But he couldn't make up for the past, all he could do was try and be better a better husband and father, here and now.

She gripped his hand when he offered it. A crushed finger bone or two was the least he could do for her.

"I--" he began but then Caitlin gave a final, exhausted push.

There was a shrill wail as their daughter was born and light flooded his world anew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time, I read a story in a 'zine -- the actual "printed, bound, you pay for the postage and it comes to you through the mail" kind ;) -- that told the same story twice, as a tragedy and not. (I sadly can't recall the title or author but it was in the _Forever Knight_ fandom.) I always thought that was a fascinating idea but had never expected to try it myself until I started writing chapter 1 here. And then I thought, "Dude, this story is going to be a huge bummer if I don't--waaait. What if it has a not-tragedy twin, sharing the exact same dialogue yet in a drastically different context?"
> 
> So here we have it. I hope you enjoyed my little experiment. Lightheartedness and fluffy stuffs will follow before long, I promise. ♥♥♥


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